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The Chemical Attack on Ghouta

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SALAMIEH,HAMA,(ST)_ With vast official and people 's participation, a funeral was held today for 18 martyrs who lost their lives in the terrorist bombing in al-Kafat town in rural Salamieh, Hama.

The procession was attended by the governor of Hama, Dr. Ghassan ,governorate's officials and thousands of citizens of the town and other neighboring towns and villages who welcomed the bodies of the martyrs with rice, roses and cheers , saluting the martyrs and the Syrian Army . Several citizens who participated in the funeral stressed need to strengthen national unity to counter terrorism.

Citizens Ibrahim Daioub and Nasser Mousa stressed that the massacre was a criminal act by all standards and is convicted by all laws because it targeted safe citizens in their homes and students returning from schools , stressing that " terrorists crimes will not discourage people of the town to pursue their daily lives and continued support for the Syrian army in pursuit of terrorists all over Syria . "

A suicide bomber blew himself in a car bomb yesterday in a populated area in al-Kafat town , resulted in the martyrdom of 18 civilians and wounding 30 others, mainly women , children and elderly.

DAMASCUS,(ST)_Health Ministry has censured the statement released by the French Foreign Ministry on the national vaccination campaign against Polio in Syria, according to the official news agency.

The ministry stressed on Thursday that the French government's statement is groundless and a blatant intervention in Syria's internal affairs as well as it distorts human rights and international relations.

"The ill-favored step adopted by the French government can be considered as an obstacle to efforts being exerted by Health Ministry in Syria to eradicate poliomyelitis in cooperation with the relevant UN organizations, especially the World Health Organization and the UNICEF," the ministry said.

'Brilliant results'

It noted that the at least 2.177.000 children aged under five were vaccinated against Polio in the first campaign carried out in cooperation with 52 Non-Governmental Organizations plus the Syrian Arab Red Crescent all over the country.

"The results of the first campaign were brilliant in immunizing the children against the polio," the ministry said, adding the primary result of the second campaign shows that more than 2.000.000 children were vaccinated.

Negative practices

Moreover, the ministry underscored that the French government, in cooperation with Turkey, illegally enters trivalent vaccines to Syria in a violation of the international law.

It made it clear that that the bivalent vaccines, not trivalent ones, have been recommended by the WHO and the UNICEF to rid polio in Syria.

The bivalent vaccines were used in the campaigns launched by the health ministry in Syria.

The ministry called for stopping what it described 'negative practices' that breach the agreement arrived at between Health Ministry and the two organizations ( WHO and UNICEF) during the meetings of the 60th session of Health Ministers' Regional Committee recently held in Oman as regard eradication of Polio in Syria.

It shouldered the French government and the terrorist groups being supported by the French government responsibility for the re-emerge of polio in Syria and failure of efforts to prevent its spread.

'Money laundering'

"Helping Syrian children can be done through building infrastructure and stop supporting and arming the French terrorists and the others that are perpetrating brutal crimes against the Syrian people," the ministry said.

It labeled the French practices as 'money laundering' that is gained by France from supporters of terrorism in Syria in return for hostile stances to the Syrian people and children.

The ministry vowed to spare no effort to keep Syria polio-free as it was been since 1995 till September 2013.

Pakistani origin

Last year, the WHO declared that poliovirus that has reportedly affected ten children in Der Ezzour province is of Pakistani origin. The virus was brought by the terrorists who have come from Pakistan to kill the Syrian people.

PROVINCES, (ST)- Units of the armed forces on Friday continued their mop-up operations in several areas across Syria, killing scores of terrorists including leader of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham in Lattakia.

In Lattakia, "an army unit destroyed a cache full of rockets and 4 cars equipped with heavy machineguns in Salma village, killing scores of them, including Fadel al-Tarkawi from Saudi Arabia, Khalid al-Rashwani from Egypt and Abu Safuan al-Zaidi from Libya, according to a military source.

The source added that among the dead was an Iraqi terrorist nicknamed Abo Mihjem, leader of the so-called The Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) that is linked to al-Qaeda, in addition to others.

In Homs and its countryside, amilitary source said that the army units killed and injured a number of terrorists' leaders during a special operation against one of their dens near al-Zafaraneh Clinic in al-Rastan city ,al-Ra'is Street in al-Waer neighborhood,Palmyra .

In Aleppo and its countryside," the army units killed scores of terrorists in the villages of al-Jadideh, Kweirs, Hreitan, Ma'aret Arteq, Khan al-Assal, the Industrial Area and to the north of the Central Prison ,in the area surrounding Azizeh village and Bustan al-Qasr," according to a military source.

Meanwhile, another army unit clashed with members of an armed terrorist group who were attempting to sneak into al-Sayyed Ali area in the city, killing and injuring most of them.

DAMASCUS, (ST)- "Syria is committed to continue cooperation with the World Food Program ( WFP) to carry out the response plan of the humanitarian demands in 2014 to reach all the affected citizens,"said Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatiates Minister Walid al-Moallem.

Al-Moallem's remark was made during a meeting with the Executive Director of the World Food Program ( WFP) , Ertharin Cousin.

During the meeting, al-Moallem and Cousin discussed the efforts exerted by the Program in Syria to offer the food, aid to the civilians affected by the crisis to which is it exposed, particularly women and children.

Al-Moallem highly appreciated the WFP's efforts in Syria ,stressing that the difficulties which encounter the relief work are because of the acts of the armed terrorist groups in different regions of the country.

Cousin ,for her part, appreciated the productive cooperation and constructive efforts exerted by Syria during 2013, hoping this cooperation would continue to reach more affected people and offer aid to children, women as well as overcoming difficulties that face WFP in the country.

DAMASCUS,(ST)_Prime Minister has affirmed the government's readiness to augment allocations to rapid response plan to be implemented in Syria in 2014, noting that what have been implemented last year did not meet the needs of citizens affected by the armed terrorist groups' acts.

Dr. Wael al-Halqi clarified that 43% of allocations to the 2013 plan, USD 1.2 billion, were only spent and the World Food Program's aid did not reach all areas due to the armed terrorist groups' attacks on the aid convoys.

His remark was made on Thursday as he met with the Executive Director of the World Food Program Ertharin Cousin.

The premier, according to the official news agency, said that the government's disposition to deliver humanitarian, food and medical aid to all citizens affected by the terrorist groups in all areas is based on ethical and legal duties.

He noted that the government is boosting the national economy to confront the unjust embargo and economic war against the Syrian people.

Systematic escalation

Al-Halqi also declared that the number of displaced and affected citizens inside Syria roughly reached the tune of 6.000.000 as a result of the armed terrorist groups' systematic escalation before the convention of the Geneva-2-conference.

He asserted that some countries release false numbers about the affected people outside Syria [refugees] for economic and political purposes.

Al-Halqi underlined the necessity of cooperation between the international organizations and the Syrian Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) to meet citizens' needs.

Cousin praises government' Rapid response

For her part, the WFP's executive director highly appreciated the government's rapid response to the implementation of the program's plan. "The government has facilitated the delivery of aid to those in need," she said.

Also,Cousin has separately met with the Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Mouallem and Social Affairs Minister Dr. Kinda al-Shammat and discussed with them the WFP's work in Syria.

DAMASCUS,(ST)_ Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Dr. Faisal Miqdad today discussed with a delegation of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization Ahmad Abdul Salam al-Majdalani the difficult conditions of the Palestinians in the camps in Syria because of the crimes committed by the armed terrorist groups .

Miqdad noted actions and measures taken by the government to ensure the needs of the Palestinians living in refugee camps inside Syria .

He emphasized Syria's continued support for the struggle mounted by the Palestinian people to liberate their land and establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital .

For his part Majdalani indicated that "the deployment of" militants" into the Palestinian refugee camps and preventing the arrival of humanitarian aid to civilians is behind the suffering of the people of the camps ," stressing the Palestinian firm position provides for refraining from getting the Palestine Refugees involved in the events in Syria and respect for Syria 's sovereignty, security and unity of its land and people.

The Palestinian minister gave a presentation on the latest Palestinian internal political developments , stressing that Israel's settlement policy , continued occupation of the Palestinian territories and ignoring the rights of the Palestinian people are the fundamental causes that hinder achieving just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue .